Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 34508 — Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him)

Zirr (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The first to make their Islam known were seven people: the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), Sayyiduna Abu Bakr, Sayyiduna Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him), his mother Sayyidah Sumayyah (may Allah be pleased with her), Sayyiduna Suhayb, Sayyiduna Bilal and Sayyiduna al-Miqdad (may Allah be pleased with him). As for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), Allah protected him through his uncle Abu Talib. And as for Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), Allah protected him through his people. As for all the rest, the Quraysh seized them, clothed them in coats of iron armour and left them in the scorching heat of the sun. There was not one of them but that he gave in to what they wanted, except Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him). For he made his own self worthless for the sake of Allah, and he became worthless in the eyes of his people too. So they seized him and handed him over to the boys, and the boys would parade him around the streets of Makkah while he kept calling out: "Ahad, Ahad," that Allah is One.